Three white vans, a group of men with their faces covered and one of the most important military bases used by the United States in Europe. Thus began what the British authorities are treating as a possible terrorist plan against Fairford Air Force Base, Gloucestershire. A story still full of obscure points, on which however the US administration has already exposed itself: according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio there was “clearly” a foreign actor behind what happened.
The inevitable reference is to Iran. Fairford is in fact a Royal Air Force base also used by the US Air Force and in 2026 it was used by the United States in operations against Tehran. It is in fact one of the few European military airports that can be used by American heavy bombers. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned in July that bases used to attack Iran would be considered legitimate targets. The Iranian embassy in London, however, categorically denied any involvement.
The three vans and the masked men
The alarm went off in the early hours of Sunday 27 September. A woman from the area reported to the police three large white vans near the base and a group of hooded and masked men walking away from the vehicles.
Armed officers from Gloucestershire Police arrived at the scene. Five men were stopped in the Whelford area, about a mile from the base. They are all British citizens, resident in London and aged between 23 and 25. First they were arrested on suspicion of violations of the explosives law; subsequently also for the preparation of a terrorist act.
The intervention was impressive. Around 85 homes were evacuated and a 400 meter security cordon was set up around the vehicles. The three vans were examined for hours with the support of bomb squad, military vehicles and forensic experts.
But precisely on this point one of the first mysteries of the story emerged. According to what was reconstructed by Guardianinitial checks had led to suspicions of the presence of explosive material and possible improvised devices. It later emerged that no explosive material had been found in the vans. However, the British police, in their official communication, did not explain what the vehicles contained.
Because the five suspects were freed
The five men were released on bail on Monday after questioning and assessment. A decision that caused strong reactions in the United States. The release, said British counter-terrorism chief Laurence Taylor, does not mean that the investigation is over. The five remain under investigation and are subjected to “stringent conditions” regarding their movements and contacts with other people.
Donald Trump said he was surprised by the British decision and said that if it had been up to him, the suspects would not have been released. When asked directly about the possibility of Iranian involvement, the American president replied: “It could be”, without adding further details.
Marco Rubio is even more explicit. Interviewed by Fox Newsthe Secretary of State described what could have happened in the United Kingdom as a “very serious” situation, arguing that the matter clearly involved a foreign actor. However, Rubio did not indicate which country and did not make public the evidence on which this statement is based.
The track of the foreign state
The official British position is more cautious for now. Counter terrorism policing claims to be following “multiple leads”: among the hypotheses examined, however, there is expressly that the operation may have been conducted by proxies or by people who worked, knowingly or otherwise, on behalf of a foreign state. Second Reutersin the weeks preceding the episode, surveillance in the area had been strengthened following threats from Tehran.
The war between Iran and the USA
Meanwhile, the war between the United States and Iran, which began on February 28 with American and Israeli attacks against Tehran, has entered its seventh month. After weeks of new Iranian raids and reprisals against US targets and Gulf countries, diplomatic attempts have also resumed in the last few hours. Washington and Tehran have spoken separately to mediators to seek a way out of the conflict.
Iran proposes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the end of hostilities in exchange for the lifting of the American blockade, the easing of sanctions and the unblocking of some Iranian assets; Donald Trump, however, rejected the first version of the plan, while leaving the door open for new negotiations. The American president claims that the United States will win the war “very soon”, while the issue of Iran’s nuclear program remains one of the main obstacles to an agreement.